


Doctor Who: Buried Alive - Five Days to the Death

by TARDIS_Type40_my_all_time_favourite1986



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Falling In Love, Fear, Friendship, Hope, Hurt/Comfort, In the end everything will be different, Kidnapping, Look to the Past, Love, Secret Marriage, Secret Relationship, Secret family, TenRose - Freeform, Twelve-Clara, Yowzah, elevenriver - Freeform, whouffaldi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-09-01 16:53:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20261380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TARDIS_Type40_my_all_time_favourite1986/pseuds/TARDIS_Type40_my_all_time_favourite1986
Summary: Rose Tyler disappears one day without a trace and nobody knows where she is. Although there are only a few hours later a suspect, the truth behind everything still seems to be very far away.And even when everything seems to be over, with all the losses that sadly arose, there still seemed to be a shadow that hung everywhere.





	1. Chapter 1 - Missing without a trace

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, dear reader.
> 
> I just can not get the story out of my mind lately, so I had to write it down after all.
> 
> I wish you a lot of fun reading and maybe you will also cheer her up when it comes to Rose's life.
> 
> Allons-y!

Doctor Who is © by BBC

Doctor Who: Buried Alive - Five Days to the Death

Chapter 1 - Missing without a trace

21 May 2016 - London/England/Europe

It was going to be a normal day for Rose Tyler, but instead it would become a nightmare.

But let's start from scratch, the day everything started.

Rose was at home with her parents to celebrate her 30th birthday and to hear how it should be, that she should have her own family. Of course, Rose had, as always on this subject, twisted her eyes and assured her, as well as her father, Pete, that although she was not ready yet, it was not out of the question that one day she would have a family.

Jackie finally said that it was okay, as long as it was not this "Gallifreyan boy" and Rose could not help but sigh loudly. As if she would pay tribute to this crazy idiot. After all, he wore a suit for sneakers. Who actually did that in the world?

However, as the evening approached, Rose decided to make her way home, rather, to make the appointment with some friends. Although today was her 30th birthday, she would not be able to celebrate it with her friends, but she could not have guessed that at the time.

After she said goodbye to her parents, she set off and since she needed only ten minutes walk, she ran the track. It was also a nice May evening and she could enjoy a rest.

But only a few minutes after leaving she suddenly lost consciousness ......

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Rory looked at the clock again and again, but Rose had not arrived at the agreed meeting place. His fiancé, Amy, said that it was a bit strange, since Rose had always contacted her when something had happened, but this time there was only silence.

Mickey, her best friend, when they were little, even wanted to call the police, but was reminded that it would not work until after 24 hours. Of course he got loud and screamed that it could be too late by then. Then he got up, grabbed his jacket and left the restaurant without another word. The others suspected it would be no use following him. Nevertheless, all his wife asked to see if he was okay. Martha promised, but when it came to Rose, Mickey was really like the big brother who wants to protect his younger sister.

Because Rose did not show up, the friends decided to head home. It was late and Rory, as well as Amy had to work again tomorrow.

But the way home the couple did not seem to be calmer. All the while, Rory felt like someone was following them, but hiding. Even Amy looked around several times and when they finally reached the house where they lived, they were more than happy to finally be inside.

Both were not paranoid or suffering from delusions, but someone behind them just would not let them go. Amy also asked if it had anything to do with Rose not turning up or reporting. The young woman from London had always been very reliable and she had written at least one text message that she just could not get past.

But only the silence was a constant companion in the next few hours.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

He was all the time while he was with his daughter in her bedroom, anxious to go to the door at the first sign of a key being turned in the lock. But so far nothing was heard.

They wanted to end this day with a nice late dinner, which he had prepared, to celebrate their birthday, but they have not arrived at home yet.

While his daughter was sleeping, he hoped that his wife would come home after all, and at the same time the thought spread in his heart that something was really happening to her. He did not want to think such a thing, but his wife was reliability in person, she always let him know when things got a bit late.

John, so his name, got up and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water there. There he noticed a small photo on the fridge and he smiled. It was the first photo that was made of them as a couple ... And yet, except for one person, no one knew that Rose had any family she was married to and had a small, seven-year-old daughter.

The only person who really knew what could have happened was his younger sister, but even she had no idea, so he could do nothing but hope that his wife would come home later in the evening.

Even in the morning, when John woke up from a troubled sleep, there was still no trace of her and so slowly he worried that something had happened to his wife. In desperation, he was about to call her parents, but they did not know that her daughter was secretly living in a relationship all those years, just as this fact was not known to anyone in his family except his sister.

But when he had to pull himself together to get his daughter ready for pre-school, all he hoped was that she would not notice the disappearance of her mum, but since she and her husband always looked after their daughter in the morning and together breakfasted, the seven-year-old noticed something was wrong. John explained that she had to leave earlier and could not attend this time.

But all the time there was that feeling in the chest that something had happened last night.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Rose Tyler woke up feeling dazed and had the brief thought that she was deep in the earth, at least it smelled like that.

But when she realized she was not faking herself, she started to call for help, but what she got was a shoe on her throat.

A man she did not recognize, his face masked by a sky mask, looked down at her.

He explained that she had stayed five days so that her family and her husband's, so he knew her secret, did what he asked. He himself did not tell her, but he had sent a letter to her parents, where everything is described in more detail.

If this deadline were not met, he would bury her completely on the morning of the sixth day and then suffocate her.

Rose shuddered as the words slowly penetrated her brain, but she was too scared to ask him why he was doing all this and so he disappeared and left her behind.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

He called his sister and asked her to pick up his daughter from the kindergarten and take him home with him. Besides, she explained that Rose was still not back and his conjecture was growing. Asked what had happened, he only replied that he had been arrested at work.


	2. Chapter 2 - The secret of the most famous children of London

Chapter 2 - The secret of the most famous children of London

2016

John sat in front of the police officer, his gaze straight ahead, ignoring the man at all. He was asked what he knew about the incident and why he had kidnapped his wife. But instead of answering, he just sat there and looked into the void.

Before him lay a letter, which was supposed to come from him, although it was not written by hand and no personal signature of him was, seemed alone enough to write the letter to accuse him of the kidnapping of Rose Tyler.

In this letter, of which a copy was sent to the parents of Rose Tyler, the following was written.

~I have your daughter and you stay five days until I bury her completely and alive. I do not want money from you, but the dissolution of your company.

Five days, remember what else will happen to your daughter.

David John Tyler - Smith~

That the last name seemed strange to them, should not surprise anyone and so they finally found out that her daughter had been married for five years.

Immediately, when they learned on television that this same David John Smith was arrested, they immediately headed for the prison, where he was currently in custody.

But John could not guess that.

The man in front of him was a little older, with silver-gray hair, blue eyes, and Scottish as well as Scottish, but that would hardly lead them to become friends. He introduced himself as Basil Smith, but did not mention a rank. It almost seemed like he did not consider this so important.

„If I had really kidnapped Miss Rose Tyler, would I be so stupid to get caught?“

„Maybe you just want to mislead others, Mr. Smith.“  
„No, because I will never do anything to her. Rose and I, we've known each other for so many years, I even spent time with her until she was five, even though our parents' companies were, and still are, competitors, even enemies.“

The older man leaned back and asked him to tell this story.

„Rose Marion Tyler was born here in London on May 21, 1986, at the time I was 15 years old. Of course, my father, whose family business was only recently passed on to him, had laughed and said that the Tylers would not be able to father their own child and the Rose was guaranteed to be adopted. Although it was on the news that Mrs. Tyler was pregnant, my dad stated that Rose is not a real Tyler and pulled her on everywhere.“

John paused and took a swig of the water that stood in front of him to flush his throat before continuing his narrative.

„Rose, of course, heard this very early, more precisely, at the age of three, because the nursery school talked about her supposedly not being a real Tyler, and one day just ran away. At the time I was in the area and of course I immediately noticed her, so I stopped her and asked what was going on and she told me about what was going on in kindergarten. I assured her that this was complete nonsense and offered to take her home, which she gratefully accepted. Of course, her parents were not very happy that her daughter had run away, but few still liked the fact that her enemy's son brought her home. So I wish you a nice day and then set off. However, I did not live at home at the time, but I lived with a former schoolmate who would later marry my sister.“

„Can you please tell me the names of them?“, The official asked.

„Donna Noble and Lee McAvoy, they kept their surnames after the wedding, Lee also has a cousin named James Smith, who lives in Manchester though. Anyway, I lived in the area back then, where Rose went to the kindergarten and sometimes we talked a little at the fence. However, when she was five, her parents left with her and I have not heard from her since... Until we saw each other again in 2005, at a Christmas party. Well, to be honest, we had met occasionally before at events, but this time things would change for us.“

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ °

December 2005 - February 2006

„That's like a Christmas Invasion“, he said to a young woman who was sitting bored on one of the bags.  
„Did you drink too much or why are you talking such nonsense, "Gallifreyan - Boy"“  
„No, I do not have, to be honest, not at all. I just noticed that you just sit here instead of mixing with the other guests.“

Rose looked up and somehow that smile seemed familiar, as if she had seen it a long time ago, but she could not remember when it might have been. But no matter how much she thought about all the years she knew, she just could not remember where and when.

"I'm only here because my parents are and that's why I have to be that way."

„Like me too. Do not you hate that this stupid contest has been going on for years, though it would be much better to merge?“  
„Our parents would never allow that, "Gallifreyan - Boy."“  
„My name is John, dearest Rose, you know that and yes, they would never do it, but both of us will someday be chairs of Vitex Inc. and Gallifreyan Company, and when the time comes, we could really think about unification.“

Rose put her head slightly to one side and looked at him a little puzzled.  
„Does not one of these companies have to go bankrupt and the other buys them?“  
„That's a possibility, but I did not think about that. It was more about me getting on my nerves with this stupid argument, and I think nothing of it, that just because we are the heirs, we should someday continue it.“

She looked at him silently for a few seconds now and felt a little flattered by the slight smile he gave her, then shook her head.

„Come on, Rose, let's get through this Christmas Invasion.“

She followed him outside, where the snow fell to the ground in soft flakes. And though Rose wore a jacket, she still shivered. He stepped behind her and pulled her close so that she could feel his body heat. It was not the first time they had met at any event, but over the years, "Gallifreyan - Boy" had never gone so far as to ask her outside, where he really stood very close behind her and his arms had laid around her.

„Our parents are competitors.“  
„But not us, Rose Marion Tyler, not us. And nowhere is it written that we ought to be. So what speaks against us becoming friends?“

She turned in his arms and rested her head on his chest, where she could hear only weakly his heartbeat because of his suit.  
„Just that no one should know we've gone over a ban“, she smiled as he kissed her head lightly.  
„As if I'd take care of it“, he whispered, „besides, I'm not going to let anyone dictate who I'm in love with or not.“

She only looked at him before he suddenly leaned down to her and without hesitation, just kissed her, but she could not reciprocate this gesture, because she was too surprised by his action.

„I'm in love with you, Rose Tyler, since I met you for the first time, five years ago... No, wait, not five years ago, but long before that. At that time there was a boy, of 18, and a girl, who was three. This young man told the girl the story of a being from another planet, who had the ability to travel through space and time and whose spaceship did not look like one.“

Rose just looked at him. "Gallifreyan - Boy" was the same person who told her all those stories at the fence back then. He was the one who took so many trips with her, promising that if he had a chance, he would show her all the miracles out there.

John - The Gallifreyan Boy - - John - The Doctor, as he called himself, he was one person, not two different ones. She had never forgotten him, she just could not remember his face because it was way too long ago.

„Well, a bit weird, the "Gallifreyan Boy" and your storyteller from then on are one and the same person.“  
„Did you really mean that?“

John nodded and then put his arm around her shoulder, pointing up at the sky.  
„Imagine, Rose Tyler, where we could travel in our imagination, where no one can see our thoughts, where no one knows we are there. There! Or no, but rather in the direction, but no matter where we would go, there would be no one but ourselves.“

She clung to him and then suddenly started to grin.

„And maybe this creature's spaceship looks like a blue Police Public Call Box, but she is bigger on the inside and of course it's not really a distress cell, but she just loves that design“, Rose thought with a laugh about it.

„Her name will be TARDIS, which stands for 'Time And Relative Dimensions In Space' and she is not a dead thing, but a living being.“

John laughed suddenly and picked her up so she could look down at him. He was not just simply "Gallifreyan - Boy", he was nice, humorous, a little crazy, but that suited him as well. Who else would come up with the crazy ideas that there is an alien out there traveling through space and time with a blue Police Public Call Box called TARDIS.

„Let's go, at the party in there, nobody notices we're gone.“

And so they ran away as if they were really going to disappear in space and time with a Blue Police Public Call Box. 

Over the next few weeks, they met again and again, but had to choose places that were a bit remote and where they could not be easily recognized.

One day, when this secret relationship had been going on for a whole year, he asked her, of course with a big grin, if she wanted to marry him secretly, living in secret with him and secretly starting a family and she just hugged him and kissed like crazy.

„I love you, John.“  
„I love you too, Rose and I'm so glad you're really going to marry me. You have no idea how happy you make me with it.“

And so their common future was really decided....

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

2016

John ended his story.

„I can understand why you never told anyone, John, but that does not mean you're innocent. And as long as the real culprit, if it really did exist, was not found, unfortunately I can not dismiss you...“

They were interrupted by the door opening and a young woman placing something on the table for the older man. Though he remained very neutral, his eyes could not quite hide the emotions while he was being given a report.

„Thanks, Clara. I know that you are quite worried about your father, so why do not you stop for today and drive to him.“  
„Then I would have to take a vacation and you know that I can not do that. And you also know that I work half-time as a teacher.“

Without paying any attention to John, who still had room with him, he got up and went to the young woman, placing both hands on her shoulder.  
„Clara, you're just ruining yourself. You wanted this job so you could pay the medical expenses for your dad, but what's the benefit of destroying yourself?“

The young woman named Clara, might be strong, but this time she just collapsed in the arms of the older man.

And still John was sitting here, but this time with a smile, because he did not think she had ever felt in the past, but what did he know about the true feelings of people who were alien to him.

At some point he was taken back to his cell by the other man, but they did not get far, because a woman stood in their way and simply gave him a big slap.

„That's for my daughter! You simply forced her to marry you against her will. We do not want to have anything to do with those of your kind.“

John held his aching cheek.  
„Rose is my wife, yes, that's true and I love her more than anything else, but if we had told you all, we would have been taken apart, even contact would be banned.“

With that he left, leaving Rose's parents in surprise.

„He did not mean that, did he?“  
„I'm afraid, Jackie, I'm afraid. However, he seemed really desperate.“

Jackie just shook her head, she could not believe that her daughter was in a relationship, even in a relationship, with the son of the Gallifreyan Company all those years.

Vitex Inc. and the Gallifreyan Company were competitors, and even enemies, they would not just make friends in any way.

It took an hour for John to ask for another conversation, but this time it was supposed to be outside in the yard. Curious and somewhat suspicious in Jackie's case, they followed him, a little out of the way, because there was a reason for that.

Of course, John had also agreed that a plainclothes policeman would be out there, but John did not intend to run away. If he really was the culprit in the case, he certainly would not be here.

Outside, a ginger woman was waiting with a little girl by the hand, which immediately broke away and ran to him.

„Daddy“, she called, „what about Mummy, why do not you come home?“  
„That's a long story, kid. I just want to introduce you to someone. Pete, Jackie, could you please come to us?“

They did and only a few minutes later John had explained everything.

„I know it was not right to hide her from her grandparents all these years, but when you're...“

Jackie did not listen, she was busy with her granddaughter and it really seemed like they had known each other all these years.

Pete shook his head over the picture, knowing at that moment that Jackie had left behind everything that had happened in the past at the first sight of Lia.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Rose had been here for almost 24 hours and so far the one who had kidnapped her had been there only in the morning, leaving her some bread and water. At the same time, he had threatened her to do something to her family if she had the idea of liberating herself.

So she stayed here, full of fears, but also hopeful that her husband and daughter were fine, but also worried about the child growing up in her stomach...


	3. Chapter 3 - A normal family life

Chapter 3 - A normal family life

2016

Two more days had passed and this time John even got visitors. In front of him stood a slightly older man with big ears and blue eyes.

„James! What are you doing here?“  
„Donna called me so that, as a writer I can always work at home, I take care of your daughter. And that brings us to the actual question: Why did not I know anything about being a father, John? We've known each other since Donna met up with Lee, but it looks like it's not enough to trust me.“

John looked up and then nodded. James was right, he should have known, but the fear that the outside world would know about it, and thus their parents would know about it, made John and also Rose keep this secret for all these years.

„Maybe we should not have kept it a secret all these years, but the fear of losing everything was bigger in this case. Pete and Jackie have only known about it since yesterday.“  
„Lia goes to kindergarten, how did you manage it all those years, that it still does not get known?“  
„When Rose brought Lia to kindergarten, Rose wore a wig that showed her real hair color and blue contact lenses, and she changed her voice. And so far it had worked very well.“

James nodded now.  
„Well, you've been a couple for so many years, secretly married, even though I'm angry that I've been lied to all that time, no one has earned such an experience as you.“

„So that means you will help us?“  
„Yes, whoever Rose did that, he deserves his just punishment. I'll take an apartment here in London, after naturally getting to know your daughter better and seeing how things go on. Sorry, I can not get you out of jail.“

John smiled and said that the blanket would fall on his head at home anyway.

„Of course you do not have to take care of them all the time, I think Pete and Jackie would take over for a couple of hours. Unless Jackie does not want to let her granddaughter go at all.“

James promised he would talk about it with Jackie. He would not let anything happen to John's family, no matter how much he would give his own life.

„Visiting time is over“, the young man from the door shouted to them and James and John stood up.  
„Oh yes, before I set out, I just wanted to tell you how amusing I think that you are married, even though you were told in your childhood again and again that the other family is bad. But that's why we do not want to worry now.“

John smiled after James left the room. He was then taken back to his cell.

„What's your name?“  
„Alonso.“  
„Allons-y Alonso, I always wanted to say that.“  
„You have not forgotten why you are here?“

He nodded after reentering the small cell. It contained a bed, a TV, and a desk with a few books on it. John threw himself on the bed and crossed his arms behind his head, closing his eyes.

He thought about why someone had abducted his wife for no reason and why they all thought he was the culprit. So while he lived there, there was an accident elsewhere that could possibly have been prevented.

We recall that a few days ago Basil asked a young woman named Clara to take a vacation and drive to see her father, who was seriously ill and preferred to be with him. Clara, however, had refused and said she would instead pay the medical expenses.

But due to the fact that she still worked as a teacher this morning, she brought it to the brink of a nervous breakdown.

Amy Pond, who also worked as a teacher at Coal Hill School, found her colleague on the stairs, where she lay unconscious on the steps in the middle of it. Blood had flowed from a wound on the head and had made its way down.

Amy immediately called one of her colleagues over her desk phone, who was not teaching at the time, and a few minutes later Adrian Davis was present, also shocked by Clara's condition.

Of course, everyone at this school noticed that Miss Oswald was constantly over-tired, barely able to concentrate, and confused herself several times during class with historical events.

Of course, everyone thought that it would be over again, that Clara had maybe only one phase, but over the past few weeks it has been getting worse and worse.

Until the moment she collapsed in the middle of the stairs.

Adrian checked her pulse and found that fortunately she was still alive. As soon as possible he called an ambulance and asked to hurry.

In the meantime, they had taken Clara to the school room and while Adrian was looking after the young woman's wounds and writing to his wife that it might be a little while later, Amy had already told the headmaster Mr. Armitage about everything and of course that , partially dried, wiped blood on the stairs. Not to obliterate any traces, but to spare the children such a sight, though Amy was sure that some of them had already seen more than they should have at their age.

Meanwhile, the wound was connected to Clara's forehead.

However, since Clara Oswald did not show up at the police station this time and she was always present, Basil Smith (why did so many people have to wear the surname Smith?) began to worry. He had also tried to reach them by phone, but when no one answered, his anxiety only increased.

Until he reached someone and told Adrian Davis what had happened. John, who had now gained some more freedom (or because Basil wanted to keep an eye on him) was sitting in the office and, of course, realized that something had happened.

„We're going to the hospital“, he stated, and then asked John to accompany him. Although John told him that he might be able to escape, Basil admitted that he would trust him and that in the last few days he had been here, John had long since done something to guard his cell.

So they drove to the hospital, which was called him and were there within 30 minutes.

Since John was aware that Basil would no longer look after him anyway, he waited outside, which could give him the opportunity to escape again, but he would not do it.

Basil, who for 11 years, as John and Rose knew he knew the young woman longer than many would suspect, was in love with Clara, he had then headed the case when Mrs. Oswald was killed in a car accident, the driver However, the other car was never found and, of course, also met Clara Oswald.

At that time he was 47/48 and of course he was supposed to be neutral to a young woman of 19, but his heart had been beating faster and faster since he first met her, and finally, at the end of the investigation, everyone became aware of it. that the case could not be solved, he had to admit to himself that he had fallen in love with her, but could never tell her.

So he kept all those feelings to himself, even when she suddenly stood in front of him after all these years, he could not say it.

What he did not know, however, was that it was not by chance that she had asked for the job with him, not with him, not with one of his colleagues, but because it brought him the same feelings. She could not even remember that he might be too old, rather she thought so about it that it was more important to enjoy every minute they had.

But now that she was here, not because of the head injury, but because of all the stress she had recently been exposed to, he resolved to tell her the truth about his feelings as soon as she woke up. She could have died in the fall on the stairs and the knowledge that it could be over at any time, let him just make the decision he had made.

Now he understood the fear John had for his wife. Not knowing where the missing person was was bad enough, but then living in the fear that something might have happened to her, that maybe she was already dead, even though the message said there were five of them Days remained, three had already passed and the search party, which was traveling every day, so far found no trace of Rose Tyler.

London was a big city and then the surrounding countryside came along. At the same time, it had to be kept in mind that Mrs. Tyler-Smith could find herself somewhere else, so it would not do much good to search the surrounding area.

Basil sensed that there was a great possibility that another case would be filed this time, and that he would be involved again this time.

He took her hand now and held her to his forehead as if to give her life energy.

„You had to be so stupid, right? Instead of relaxing for a day, you're just risking your own life. Do you know what fear I had about you when I found out what happened? I thought that maybe you could have died and I would not have the opportunity to tell you what you mean to me.“

He was not the only one who just cried like that, besides, he was known to the outside world as cold and grumpy, which he liked so much.

„I know you do not think like I do, but I have to tell you, even though I know we can only be friends.“

He rested his head on her chest and then turned to her.  
„I love you, Clara Oswald. Yes, the old guy is in love with you since the first moment I saw you then.“

He closed his eyes, glad to finally get rid of those words.

A little later, when John opened the door to the room, a smile crept to his lips as the couple was engrossed in a kiss. Of course, even if he had to go through terrible things, he did not want others to suffer the same way.  
Quietly, he left again, leaving the two alone.

But how could he catch her in this activity?

Well, just minutes earlier, just after Basil had given his confession, Clara awoke with the slight pressure on her chest. Somewhat confused, she put her hand on the other person's head in the room and when she looked up she looked at the man she least expected to be here.

She wanted to take his hand away from his head, but he just lifted his head slightly and just pressed his lips to hers.

Surprised and a little confused, she could do nothing and even tried to move away from him, but he simply held her and even deepened the kiss, letting his tongue in around the inlet.

Oh, whatever she thought about this situation here, it might be the only way to do this.

Basil now rested his forehead on hers.  
„I love you, Clara Oswald“, his voice was soft and yet understandable.  
„I love you, and I'm really not happy that you played so easily with your life.“  
She just stared at him. He loved her, according to his words he did, but now he moved away from her.  
„Since I'm aware that you do not feel like me, I will not..."

He would never finish that sentence, since it was her that drew him to him. It was also the moment when John came into the room and immediately left her alone again.

„If you get the stupid idea of continuing to talk about us being friends after all, then the second bed in the room will not be in use for long.“

Basil shook his head, laughing.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Lia was allowed to come home to her grandparents, where she also met nine-year-old Tony, who was her uncle. It was not long before they had retired to his room.

Tony told his niece a little bit about his school day, because Lia herself will come to school this summer.  
„Is the school really as bad as everyone says?“  
„It depends. I love teaching where I can draw, but in math I have my difficulties. Besides, I'm our theater group because I want to become an actor later on.“

„That sounds good. You are the greatest uncle I could wish for. Well, except Uncle James, but he is already over 50 and so ancient.“

Tony shook his head and then suggested that he should recite her with his hand puppets that he had made himself.

Jackie stood at her son's door, smiling at the picture, looking like siblings who knew each other from an early age and not like an uncle spending time with his niece.

„You love the little one too much, as you would risk losing it again, right?“, Pete said to his wife.  
„Well, I'm still a little angry, not for John and Rose, but for missing all those years with Lia. Look at her, she looks just like Rose at her age.“

Pete smiled, even though Lia had the same eye color as her father, the rest seemed to be from her mother.  
John and Rose had a beautiful daughter, whom Jackie was sure was loved by her parents above all else.

„Shall we call James and ask if he cares, that she'll spend the night here with us and I'll bring her to kindergarten tomorrow morning?“

Jackie was about to answer when it rang down and Tony just ran past them to open the door.

„Hello, Lee“, he greeted, „come in. I just played Lia a play with my puppets.“  
„It will have please her“, in recent years, his stuttering had improved, so that it only came to light when he was nervous.  
„Um, I just can not remember that I would know you. James sent me to pick up Lia.“  
„Oh, excuse me, Lia just talked so much about you, by the way, I'm Tony, her uncle. Well, actually we are both their uncle“, the boy grabbed his hand and pulled him with him.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

But of all this Rose knew nothing. She was still trapped in the grave, almost covered with earth, no chance to escape.

There were only two days left until it was over. Her kidnapper had himself announced that he did not think anyone would find her. And he had also joked that it was really beautiful, the mother and child will be together forever.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Press Conference

Chapter 4 - The Press Conference

2016

It was only just over 24 hours before the ultimatum expired and Rose Tyler would die somewhere out there.

Somewhere, as no one would look, because this area looked like any other.

John had asked that he would give a press conference where he could explain everything and where he would also tell him that he's been in a relationship with Rose Tyler for eleven years, they have a seven-year-old daughter and been married for five years. Of course no one believed him, because why was it kept secret all these years, if they really were a couple.

„Because Rose is Pete's daughter, and Jackie Tyler and I are the son of Rassilon Smith, and everyone here should know that Vitex Inc., as well as The Gallifreyan Company, are declared enemies. Of course, then everyone believes that their children take over this competition, but it is not so.

Rose, my wife, disappeared on the evening of May 21, a day later I was arrested because a letter appeared that was supposed to come from me. But why should I sign directly with David John Tyler-Smith instead of choosing a pseudonym?

What I just want is for my wife, who is also five months pregnant, to be found and to come home healthy.“

John wiped his eyes with the back of his hand as tears made their way. Basil, who had come to realize more and more in the hours that John had to be innocent, handed him a handkerchief. However, as the investigator in charge of the case, it was better to pretend that their whole relationship was purely professional.

„Thank you. I'm sorry you have to be there all the time.“  
„It's my job and I'll see Clara again tonight when I drive to her home, of course, on her invitation.“

John smiled and together they left the stage where James was waiting with Lia. The girl was a little disturbed by what she had just learned, but she did not speak it either.

„Everyone still does not believe you“, James told him, „I've heard some people say you and the police are behind it together to make Rose disappear.“

John clenched his fists. Of course, such a thing would be maintained, it simply can not be possible, the enmity is not 100%.

„I'm James, by the way“, he said, holding out his hand in the direction of the oldest in the circle. Basil shook it briefly.  
„And of course I'm not the culprit“, James tried to make a joke, which probably was not so good. Immediately he apologized and then offered to Lia to eat ice cream with her. Of course, she was happy about it and still asked her father if it was okay. He nodded with a smile and so James and Lia went away.

John was glad that Lia was a little distracted by all this. It was also quite surprising to him how strong the band was, what emerged between James and his daughter within the short time.

„Everything OK?“  
„Yes, let's go, I think I said everything.“

Basil nodded and they moved away from the crowds. Most people would only ask him why he and his wife had lied all these years. And he really did not feel like it.

„How are you?“, Basil wanted to know when they had moved away. John just sighed and explained that it was getting on his nerves. He also had to get together rather than break down in front of his daughter.

„That must be very stressful for Lia. I hope she can handle it all very well.“

John smiled. Although he had only known the older man for a few days, and Basil Smith was in charge of investigating the case, and so he must remain strictly professional, he was more than happy that their relationship was not tarnished. Actually, he could well imagine that they could become friends after everything was cleared up.

Who said the contact had to break after that. Where was it written that they had to keep this as secret as his relationship with Rose.

Basil stopped, but this time it was not about him, but about a certain person who had waited farther away. John could not help but shake his head with a smile.

He knew by now that Peter Basil Smith was known only to the outside world as someone who seemed to be in a constant bad mood and would crush anyone who came too close to him.

But within the few days that John Basil knew, he had learned more about him than others in several years.

Basil was laughing right now, causing some in the vicinity to turn to him. Of course there was talk, when was it not, but the conversations he heard were about calling the police to alert a man to a minor.

John called his friends to him, though he did not know Clara so well yet. When asked what was going on, John explained everything and Basil then brought out his brand.

„Then you should know that it is forbidden to have sex with minors.“  
„It is not forbidden if both are still in this time, besides, it does not concern you who I'm with. And before any comments come, my girlfriend is 29.“

John looked up, he did not know that yet, then shrugged inwardly. What did he care?

„So, do not you have anything to do with it?“, Clara asked now, „or do you still want to stand there stupidly.“

As the crowd moved away, one of them muttered something about being very rude. Clara did not pay attention to it, but only leaned closer to him.

„May I invite you for a drink? I have no idea what you prefer.“

Unfortunately, Basil had to decline because his shift was not over yet. And Clara also asked to relocate to later. Besides, it seemed to them that John wanted to distract himself from all that had happened in recent times.

„Sure, you would never stop your work, and I'll have to go back to my cell anyway.“  
„I'm sure this is no longer necessary“, smiled Basil, „go home and sleep well. Since I manage the case, I can give that to you as an order.“

John laughed, for the first time in days he laughed again wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, he refused the offer, as he could not bear to lie in bed without his wife.

So they all returned to jail.

There he apologized to the others and disappeared into his room as soon as possible. Only after the door was closed behind him, he could let his tears run wild.

Of course, most did not believe him that he had nothing to do with it. Why, the letter that was sent was signed with his name. None of them even thought about it, that everything could be wrong. After all the years he and Rose spent together, why should he suddenly kidnap his wife to demand the dissolution of two companies where one of them is his heir?

It just did not make sense. John got up and walked up and down the tiny room trying to sort out his thoughts, but instead they were more confused.

After he was too busy here too, he suddenly started screaming loudly and soon afterwards succumbed to a kind of panic attack where he finally did not get how someone came to his room and tried to calm him down with gentle words. When this worked, the person brought him to his bed where he mumbled to himself.

„Do not leave me, Rose. Stay with me.“

„He seems to be quite taken away from all this“, Clara whispered, as Basil entered the room and he also became aware of the sight of the other man.

„Seems so. I guess the press conference was just as much a reason for his panic attack today. I just hope that both come out well. And I do not mean that one of them loses his life.“

She nodded before following him outside. Both hoped that John could sleep through the next few hours without being plagued by nightmares.

They would not stay long in Basil's office this time because none of them had the energy to do anything that day. So he decided to quit a little earlier and instead of thinking about the remaining hours, how stupid the day had gone so far.

„Do you want to come home with me?“  
„Funny you ask that“, Clara grinned, „after what people have said about us, I thought you'd rather think differently about all this.“  
„I have no intention of separating from you, Clara. For eleven years, I've been waiting to finally be with you, I'm not going to let any idiots think that they know how to do it better.“

She hugged him suddenly and he could not help but cry out in surprise.

„Peter Basil Smith, I do not care what the world thinks out there, I do not care what my father and stepmother think about it. The only thing I know is that I love you more than I can say. Not only did I start with you because I needed the money to pay for my dad's medical expenses, but because I wanted to be with you. I love you, no matter how much you doubt it.“

He could not help but close her mouth to a soft kiss. Clara could not help but put her arms around his neck and pull him closer, then rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.

„Even though you will never find the one who was responsible for my mother's death then, please do not blame it anymore. It's alright, I know Mum would not want anyone to suffer many years after her death. Especially someone she did not know.“

He pushed her slightly away, then shook his head.  
„I just can not understand how you can take it so easy. Do not you want to see him imprisoned forever for the murder of your mother?“

She just stared at him for a few minutes before asking him to let it rest. Basil promised it, alone from the fear of finally losing her.

When she was home with him for the first time, she was once again surprised. Everywhere on the wall hung newspaper articles for the case at that time her mother. Immediately, Clara began to accept it and throw paper crumpled up to a large mountain on the floor.  
„What are you doing there?“  
„You can see that. If I ask you to leave all this behind, it also means you will not mind.“

Basil sighed.

„Listen, Rose still has the hope of finding her alive, unfortunately my mum will not suddenly stand in front of her and tell her she's back.“

She went to him and put her arms around his body.  
„Stop looking so grumpy.“  
„I always look like this“, he grumbled, barely able to hide the smile. Clara chuckled as he tickled her by the side.  
„Stop that, that's not funny.“

He just pushed her to the couch and pushed her against the back.  
Clara asked him what he was up to, but she understood it when he pressed against her.

„Oh, you have to be pretty hungry.“  
„Considering that the last time I had sex the last time, almost twelve years ago, it's about to happen.“  
„You had the last time?!“

He sighed: „Shortly before I met you and since I know that I'm in love with you, no longer was a woman for me anyway. I only got one up if I thought of you all these years.“

Clara was not sure what to say. She looked at her friend and could see, in his now dark blue eyes, all his excitement. Everything was so important to him.

„Let's go to the bedroom“, she just said and he nodded slightly.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Rose sensed that her kidnappers would not come back, and she realized that someone would find her and free her from this situation.

So she had to hope that she died a quick death. But was it even possible if you only had three days of pain?

Three days, as long as a person can survive without liquid, but Rose was weakened so much in the last few days that it might be over sooner.

Something licked her face and Rose narrowed her eyes. Shortly thereafter, the voice of a man was heard. A voice that did not belong to the master.

„K-9, you know you should not just run away. Otherwise I get in trouble with Joshua.“

The dog ran around the site and barked loudly, so that the stranger came to them and was finally surprised by what the dog had found.

„River!“, He shouted, „I think K-9 found Rose Tyler.“

He knelt down in front of her.  
„Do not worry, you're out of here soon. Wait, you look thirsty“, he took a bottle of water from a backpack and gave it to her. Rose drank greedily, which was understandable because of her condition.

„By the way, I'm Jeremiah. That's my wife back there, and the little one here is named K-9 and is the hero of the day.“

Jeremiah took out his smartphone and dialed a number.

„Sarah? Well, someone's there when you see Joshua, tell him that K-9 is a hero. He found Rose Tyler.“

After that, he hung up to inform the police about the location, while River took care of the weakened woman.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

John was quite astonished when the door opened and he was asked to accompany the man, Alonso, as there had been changes. John, who had already been awake for an hour, literally jumped off the bed hoping for good news and followed him into the office where Basil and Clara were waiting.

„According to a phone call, your wife was found, John.“  
„What are we still sitting around here? Let's go there.“

It was understandable that he was excited, after all, there was a sign of life from Rose. And since nobody had mentioned anything, she still had to be alive.

Basil nodded and secretly they set off.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Meanwhile, they had managed to free Rose from their situation, which now, wrapped in a blanket, sat in the meadow. She was trembling, but it was not the cold, but today's May Day was a bit cooler than the others, but the fear she still felt.

River talked her well, though she did not promise that everything would be okay. Not until all this has ended here.

„River, please help Rose!“, Her husband shouted to them, „I think this is someone who wants to see them.“

Jeremiah smiled at John, who thanked him with a silent nod, and then caught Rose, who cried in his arms, crying.

Basil, as John had asked him to, had also notified James and asked him to come here... Of course, he also provided directions and James promised to leave immediately.

Luckily, Lia was with Donna and Lee, otherwise she would be overawed by all this.


	5. Chapter 5 -... about the lives of others

Chapter 5 -... about the lives of others ...

2016

Rose was constantly crying on her husband's shoulder, which simply held her and whispered soft words. But no one knew that this was the last closeness they would have.

Someone tapped John on the shoulder and as he turned away from Rose, the next moment he felt a sharp pain in his heart. He wanted to say something, but he immediately fell to the ground without further signs of life.

Later, it would turn out that the knife that had hit him directly in the heart was soaked with a strong, lethal, deadly poison.

Rose, who did not understand what had just happened, wanted to see him, but was being held back by someone at that moment.

„You can not do anything, Rose.“  
She did not know the voice, but the stranger seemed to know her. Still, she kept trying to free herself, but the grip on her was far too strong.

„Harold Saxon“, Basil Smith's voice sounded contemptuous, „the five years in prison have probably not been enough.“  
„Why should I change my life if I'm very good at what I do?“, His voice was mocking and Basil guessed that man was too brave dangerous then and now.

„This man should be the heir of Gallifreyan Company? That I do not laugh. He would never have, since his father had chosen me many years ago. Me, an outsider who did not even belong to the family.“

It was K-9 who pushed him down with his paws and bared his teeth. Of course he would not hurt anyone, but he also had a strong sense of justice.

„Get off me, you stupid mutt!“

The growl grew stronger, but K-9 did not move. Saxon tried to push him away, but the weight on him was just too heavy.

Meanwhile, James Rose had brought outside the village. She had to go to hospital as soon as possible, first because she was pretty weak and second because it was about the unborn child.

But for Rose Tyler, this day should be the worst of her life.

James, who had refused to wait outside since he was not related to the patient, now stood in the room next to her and could not help but feel a deep anger at the one who had done all this to them.

Rose had lost her child because of the stress and the fact that she could not eat enough for the last four days. It starved because it could no longer absorb the nutrients it so desperately needed.

„Why do not they give me a poison myself, so that I do not have to go through everything myself?“

James looked shocked.  
„Rose, please, I do not know how you feel, but what about Lia?“

She mumbled something about being able to grow up with Lee and Donna. James shook his head slightly.

„John was my best friend and that's why I will not let you make any nonsense. Sure, I was angry that he had not told me the secret about your relationship, but I just do not want Lia to lose both parents.“

Although it was wrong, because something in him said that there will be changes in the near future that could possibly hurt people.

James made every effort to pay attention to Rose and Lia, but he could not guess what it would mean to him.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

In the meantime, Joshua and Sarah arrived at the scene of the accident. K-9 walked around the two, as if hoping to get his praise for his exploits, but unfortunately he still had to wait.

Joshua, whose full name was Thomas Joshua Smith (there were just too many of those surnames), came to Jeremiah, or even Matthew Jeremiah Smith (his wife River had their surname after the wedding) to explain everything.

„Then K-9 is really a hero, considering how old he already is.“

The dog was over 20 years old, yet he seemed to be quite agile when it came down to it.

„Yes“, said Jeremiah, „if he had not been, Mrs. Tyler - Smith would have died. Unfortunately we could not save her husband. Who could have guessed that they had a relationship all these years.“

Joshua looked at his dog, who was following Basil. He seemed to feel like the greatest heroic dog of all time, for his head was turned upwards and his footsteps kept up with those of the man. Basil did not seem to pay any attention to the dog, but handed the arrested Harold Saxon to his colleagues.

„You'll pay for that, I'll be free someday, and then I'll make a murder look like an accident, like the one in that car accident in 2005. The woman should never have dared to watch me kill that kid.“

Basil paused as everything in his mind slowly became clear.

In 2005, the body of a 15-year-old boy was found in Blackpool, only a few weeks later happened the accident in which Eleanor Oswald lost her life.

He understood that these two cases were connected and that, after all these years, they finally came to an end.

„Bring him out of my sight“, he growled, before turning away and just walking away. He just did not want to think about what had happened in the last few hours.

„I'll take care of someone picking him up!“, Jeremiah called after him, but Basil was not listening. He did not even pay attention to Clara, who was following him now.

Only when he was sure that he was far enough away did he fall to his knees and reach into the grass with his hands.

The case of Harold Saxon, also known as the Master, was unsolved all those years and only by chance could he finally come to an end.

„Hey“, she sat down to him, „I do not know how you feel, but I think the worries of the past are now behind you.“

He did not answer, instead he changed her positions so that she lay suddenly under him and before she could guess what he was up to, they were already united. It was not wild sex, as they had it, but full of love and security... And luck, that grass grew so high here.

Clara clung to him, but he turned her around so she was up now. Smiling, he pulled her down to him.

Later, when they were exhausted but happy, Clara asked him what the reason for his sudden action was.  
„Rose lost John today. I have had all those years, even when you started working for us, afraid to confess my feelings, as I always thought that if I die in a few years, you will be alone.“

„And you do not have that fear anymore?“  
„Yes, but I try to ignore it as much as possible. Today has just shown me that every moment is dangerous, but if you let it take you too much, it will reduce your quality of life.“

He got up and pulled her with him.

„Marry me“, both say at the same time, then start confused. Finally, Clara laughed and said that it was really funny between them.

„Do we'll marry, then?“  
„Well, I'm not mad either, if you want to be engaged for a while.“

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

James, when he was sure that Rose would not wake up in the next few hours, had left the hospital to drive to Donna and Lee to inform them of the events of the past few hours.

But the hardest part for him would be to tell Lia that her dad will not be able to come home.

And then there were Jackie and Pete. They had just learned that their daughter was married and had a daughter, and now he had to deliver the news that John was dead.

However it was thought, it just could not be explained as if it would hurt no one.

James was standing in front of the house that Lee and Donna lived in and had to swallow. Lia was playing with Tony and they both seemed to enjoy themselves. They looked like siblings, but who would expect them to be uncle and niece?

„Uncle James!“, The girl cried, „are you going to pick me up now?“  
„No, I have to talk to you about something very important. Do you have a moment or disturb me?“

Tony denied and Lia went to him. James sensed that everything would change in the next few minutes. While he told her that her mum was fine, it also became clear that her dad would never come home.

„Daddy is now somewhere else and still looking after me?“  
„Yes, I think that's the way it will be.“  
„Then it's just fine. I hope he will never forget me where he is now.“

James smiled and said that bonding between parents and children in most cases can not easily break.

„Is Mummy coming home soon?“

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

If K-9 could talk, he would tell everywhere that he had caught a bad man and was thus a hero. But lacking that ability, Joshua had to do it.

„That's not how I imagined my last years.“  
„If you do not plan to say goodbye to life too soon, prepare for a few years ahead.“

He rolled his eyes slightly before he realized anything.  
„Damn, that's going to be known in the museum, too. It's hard to imagine what colleagues could ask for.“

His wife grinned slightly as K-9 barked the attention again. He did not seem to like it at all at the moment.

„I should have left him with Jeremiah longer... Although, does Luke not come home today?“  
„If you plan to give him to the dog today, be prepared not to see K-9 for a few hours.“

Although Luke was Sarah's adoptive son, Joshua had never adopted the adoption himself. That was also because the young man himself thought he could manage without a father all those years.

However, the relationship between them was very firm and it did not bother them if someone considered them Father and Son.

„Anyway, he meant he'll be there in the afternoon. I just hope he does not get any of this stuff too fast.“

Joshua said nothing. He was aware that the media would rush to it as soon as it became known. After all, the late David John Tyler - Smith was no stranger and the fact that he had a secretive family all these years would probably cause much speculation.

Hopefully her daughter was let out of all this. The girl had lost a parent today, she almost became an orphan.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Jeremiah did not know the deceased person personally, as well as, but there was a feeling that it was his job to see to it that the funeral could take place as quickly as possible.

Of course, an autopsy had to be done first, it was a murder case after all, but in fact the young man thought that John's family would rather have the opportunity to say goodbye to husband and father.

„Sweetie, you're thinking too much about this whole thing.“  
„How should I not? A human being would still be alive if we had all been a bit more careful for a moment, then Saxon would not have had the opportunity to carry out his act.“

River sighed. Of course, all of them were inattentive for a moment, but there was no point in brooding all the time about what might have happened.

„Shall I cheer you up with your favorite food?“  
„Fish Fingers and Custard?“  
„No, you idiot, I'm talking about pears. Of course Fish Fingers and Custard.“

Jeremiah had to smile now, remembering that David John Tyler - Smith had abhorred pears as well. Yes, they could have become really good friends.

River came back a little later with a plate full of Fish Fingers and a bowl of Custard and put it in front of him. He thanked me with a smile.

Sometimes it was really good to be distracted a bit by all the worries.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

The days passed.

Basil, who should have been relieved that finally, after all these years of the case, was informed to Mrs. Oswald, it just did not seem to let him go.

Harold Saxon was not alone all those years, in the underground he had an organization that was networked nationwide. Even if Saxon did not have his fingers in the game, there were always supporters who could do it for him.

The background that Rose Tyler would be kidnapped for forcing the dissolution of Gallifreyan Company and Vitex Inc. was only a lie to an end and had developed into something far worse.

One person had died and the fear that it could catch more, was no less alone.

Basil sighed, got up and decided to look for Saxon. But when he entered the cell, Saxon lay dead on the couch.

„That way you can of course also shirk the responsibility!“

His anger rose suddenly and he kicked the dead man in the ribs.  
„This is for all the people whose blood sticks to your hands forever. I hope you really have to suffer somewhere now.“

„Basil?“, Clara's voice came from behind him, „are you alright?“  
„Not really. He has withdrawn from the whole thing. Only cowards do that.“

She took her friend's hand and pulled him out of the room. But she put her arms around him and hugged him tightly.  
„It's over. Even if it gives you time, he can not harm anyone.“  
„He's not that true, but many of his subordinates. They're out there somewhere and you might be in danger, Clara. He may have ordered them to kill you, even if he is no longer there.“

She just looked at him confusedly.  
„Are you telling me that I should go into a witness protection program?“  
„If it's the only way to protect your life, I would do it.“  
„No, it's out of the question for me to do such a thing. My life can be in danger at any time, so I will not just run away.“

He sighed. Does not she understand that he was worried about her? That he did not want to lose her? There were already, no even two victims, he just wanted to prevent everything that remained with him, that there will be more.

„I just can not lose you, you understand? Knowing that you just are not there anymore... It hurts, just thinking about it. I love you.“

„Me too and now please stop worrying. That's not how I imagined my fiancee.“

He lowered his eyes slightly and finally promised to give it a try. But Clara spoke clearly and said that he should not just "try" it. She did not want to spend the rest of her life with someone who was always thinking about what might have been, what he could have done differently. The events have happened, they can not be undone.

Basil nodded slightly.  
„I love you“, he repeated his words from earlier, „and even if you may not need it, I still want to protect you. I know you are strong, but please, do not always pretend that everything is alright.“

Clara was silent.

******************

Even though John tragically lost his life, the story is not over yet.

However, it is very possible that... No, I do not write anything now, just let yourself be surprised.


	6. Chapter 6 - Alone in the darkness of light

Chapter 6 - Alone in the darkness of light

It had been two weeks since Rose Tyler had to see her husband die.   
Two weeks when the news that her child had died in her reached her, two weeks that made her think that there was no one around her anymore.

By now she was back home, but she refused to sleep. She consumed caffeine just so she would not be plagued by nightmares. It worked very well for a while, but when she was so weakened that she could die, James, who was with her every day, decided to force her to finally sleep.

Lia was in time with her grandparents.

James, who was out of the closeness of the room for a few hours the past two weeks, was sitting across the table from her now, but her eyes went blank.

„Rose, you should eat something.“  
„Not hungry“, she mumbled and James jumped up, putting his hands on the table. The look of his blue eyes was icy and full of fears at the same time.  
„You're just breaking yourself! Do you really think John would want you to act that way? Do you really want Lia to think one day that you abandoned her?“

Rose did not answer, but looked at him now. Of course, she did not want Lia to lose both parents, but John was her great love and she had no idea what to do now in her life.

James once again asked her to eat something and this time she did. It was not that she had completely starved in the last two weeks, but she only ate light things and drank very little and even then only water.

Unfortunately, the result clearly showed how much she did not like that. She had become thinner and dark shadows under her eyes.

„Did you put something in the food?“, She finally asked him, but he shook his head. That was a lie, but it was more of a white lie, and it was to save her life.

Finally, when she was about to fall asleep, he pulled her chair back and helped her to her feet. He whispered to her that he would take her to the bedroom. She pressed herself against him and silently asked him to stay with her.  
„I do not want to be alone now, John.“

James did not answer. He could not tell her now that John was not there anymore, he would be with her tomorrow, when everything came back in her memories.

But until then he had to let the first few hours pass by and hope that Rose did not wake up in between.

Unfortunately, this hope remained unfulfilled.

Rose woke up screaming in the middle of the night and called for her husband. Unfortunately, only James could give her comfort, but she still seemed to be completely trapped in her nightmare and hit him in the face with full force that blew on his nose.

However, he ignored this and tried to calm her down with words that he is here, that she does not have to be alone. In the end, she had sunk down crying in his arms.

Now that Rose came slowly into the here and now, she also noticed what she had done to him.  
„Oh, God, you're bleeding.“  
„It's alright“, he waved, but the blood had covered his entire lower half of his face. Without thinking what she was doing, Rose simply took a piece of the blanket and used it to remove the blood.

James sensed that this closeness was a mistake. Her husband had died recently, and the funeral was due. Whatever he felt for Rose Tyler, he should as far as possible relocate it to the farthest corner of his subconscious.

„Thanks, I'll do the rest on my own.“

He wanted to get away from her as fast as possible, otherwise he would make a big mistake.

„You must not think so, besides, what would she want to do with someone like you“, he thought, „John was young, perfect for Rose, and I'm just an old man with ears too big for her to do anything for me , except gratitude, would feel.“

James was in any case too much in the misery. He always wanted to be with her on one side, but on the other he had to keep his distance.

Oh no, hey, in all his years, he just had two relationships with which he no longer had any contact today, and now that he's over 50, he did not even have to hope for it.

It somehow reminded me of another couple. Could it really happen at the same time?

„James? Is everything alright?“, She asked him and although he nodded, it was not. He was totally in the mood to fall in love with her. In a woman who has recently lost her husband.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Billie Lianne Tyler - Smith sat with her uncle Tony on two swings, which swing slowly back and forth. Her gaze was forward, as if she were expecting someone, but it remained silent.

„It's really weird that Dad is gone“, her voice was low, „I always think he comes to my room every morning and smiles at me. He was always in such a good mood.“

Tony just nodded. Lia had had to experience a lot within a few minutes and to find out that a loved one is no longer there, the girl had taken more than she would admit it to others themselves.

„I would have liked to meet him, after all, he was also my uncle. If Rose and he had had the courage to publicize everything, it would not have happened.“

Although Anthony Tyler was only nine years old, events had lately made him mentally older. One thing was for sure, all this will accompany him and Lia all these years.

„Let's go home before Mum shows up here.“

And he was partly right.

Jackie stood outside, constantly glancing at her watch. It was understandable, of course, that she was afraid.

Tony, however, did not seem to think so and sighed slightly when he saw his mother.

„Where have you been since?“  
„At the playground, okay? Can we go in?“  
„What is this tone?“  
„Do not you know, mum? Let's talk about it later.“

He just walked past his mum, holding Lia by the hand, which made her shake her head over her son.

Pete also noticed that the boy had something to occupy, but he also did not want to question him about what had happened, as Tony would tell of himself when the time came.

„The last two weeks seem to have dragged on him“, he thought, hoping that it would leave no lasting damage to the children. Lia had not seen her father die, fortunately, but she knew he would not be home.

And then there was the fact that she had not seen her mum since then. James himself said on his last call that Rose had completely changed in the short time.

„I'm just glad she at least eats a little more than before“, he had admitted with relief, and Pete got the guess that there might be something else behind James's care. However, Christopher James Smith was also two years older than Pete and it would be a great miracle if Rose really developed deeper feelings for him.

„Now we can talk“, Tony entered the living room, „I think we should leave Lia with us. I know that I'm just her uncle, but she's also like a second sister to me. And it's great if I have someone to play with.“

His parents smiled at each other. Her son had just managed to look both grown-up and childlike at the same time.  
„We should also talk to her about it“, Pete said, „maybe she also likes to spend time with the Nobels.“

So the boy agreed, hugged his parents in gratitude and then ran to his room.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

It was as he expected. After the death of David John Smith, the "heir" of the Gallifreyan Company, became known, some of his colleagues really did come to him, congratulating him on the heroism of his dog they did not even know the name of and asking them to please At the boss try to get permission to visit the museum for free with their children.

Joshua had just rolled his eyes with annoyance and told them that it was just not possible. In addition, they already had benefits as employees, the museum could not hold, if everyone could come for free. There were also donations, but those alone were not enough to keep the museum alive.

„You look so annoyed“, his wife later told him as she picked him up. He told her what had happened the whole day and also said that he just wanted to go home.

"Rather thought that we were going to eat something. Luke has met with some friends from his school days and K-9 is waiting outside. "

However, someone else, as you will soon find out.

K-9 was stroked by a slightly younger man and when he heard a hawk in front of him, he looked up a little surprised.  
„Then it was really K-9 that greeted me so happily. By the way, I'm James, just in case he's been forgotten by now, Sarah and Joshua.“

They looked at each other for a moment and then just shook their heads.  
„You're here for a reason?“  
„Yes, could you mind Rose, please? I feel as if I fall in love with her and that's why I want to be outside for a while. Of course I'll be there for John's funeral, but that's about it. I have to distance myself from all this.“

Sarah asked him where he would be in time. And he admitted that he would not know it himself. Here, sometimes there, everywhere and nowhere.  
„I'll call you every now and then, lest you think I've completely disappeared. Here's the spare key to her apartment. Please make sure that she eats regularly. See you.“

He left. The funeral of John was to take place in a month. Until then nobody would see him again.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

By the morning of that day, Rose had guessed that something would happen today and when suddenly two people were standing in her living room, she realized that James would not be home.

Return home. It sounded like he had been here longer than just the few days after John's death. But that was not how Rose wanted to think. She did not want another man to become more important to her than her dead husband had been.  
She missed him. Now that, after all these years, their secret marriage/relationship/family has finally become known, all this has been destroyed by a brutal murder.

Rose swallowed, now panic-stricken did not bring anybody anything and so she took a few breaths before she nodded to her two visitors.  
She was grateful for the help she got, because who could say what else would go through her mind.

„Thank you for supporting me, but I would much rather be alone now.“  
„Sure“, Joshua smiled, „you can call anytime, anything should. Not just us, but everyone else.“

Rose nodded briefly before retiring to her room.

„I just hope she does not do nonsense.“  
„Me too, but we can not keep track of her 24/7 all the time. Well, we should be on our way.“

Her husband nodded slightly and the next moment the apartment door closed behind them.

Rose listened to the silence, still waiting for John to break open the door and enter the room like crazy. He had loved to scare her. Even back then, when they had been together for a short time and did not even have a shared flat.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Several years ago ...

„Hey, if you can guess who I am, you'll get a great prize.“  
„Let me guess, the price is a pencil? Then I can do without it.“  
„Sorry, you did not win, because I'm guaranteed not a pencil.“  
„Well, but you would be thin enough for that.“

He leaned closer to her, his lips on her ear, whispering how much he had missed her. She just grinned and said that it had only been a week.  
„For too long, I just do not want to be away from you for so long, I love you too much“, he pushed something into her hand and as she looked at it, she realized they were two keys.

„So you can come to me anytime“, he smiled, „Actually, I would ask you to move in with me, but I think it would be too early for that.“

Rose nodded and then turned to him.  
„So I can come to you anytime? Even if it's three o'clock in the morning?“  
„At any time. I think I'll wait for you to do that exactly. I love you, did I tell you that before?“

She pretended to think hard, then grinned.  
„Do not worry, you mention it so often that sometimes I think you would run a recording device and not speak for yourself.“  
„No thought“, he grinned. „These words, spoken in this tone, are meant for you only. I love you, Rose, my little Bad Wolf.“

She looked at him, then smiled. She really could not believe that she loved the man her parents kept telling her to stay away from, after all, he was the heir of the Gallifreyen Company, so much loved that it hurt.

„I love you, John“, she whispered as he handed those words back to her ...

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Rose could not and did not hold back the tears. She missed him so much. John was the only person she really loved, and he had been brutally taken away, and the one responsible for it had started suicide.

She had not only lost her husband, but also her unborn baby, and even when she thought that at least James, John's best friend, would stand by her, he was suddenly gone.

She herself could only come through the days with difficulty, would not like to get up, but just forget it. Maybe she should really leave Lia in the care of Lee and Donna and follow her husband.

It hurt, just hurt, and everyone who looked at her seemed to be pondering them while they were smiling outward, pretending that everything was alright.

Rose looked at half of the bed, which would probably be empty forever.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Somewhere between London and Birmingham

James smiled as he realized that no one had cared for this house for years. The dust layer on the windows told about it. It was not the best place to stay, but after seeing his wallet drifting away in a river a few hours ago and realizing his savings were gone, he could not stay in a hotel any more, where did he get the money from? take and explain what happened, in the end listened to a cheap excuse.

His apartment in Manchester he had given up a few weeks ago, as he intended to move to London completely, but so far found no time to look for a new place to stay.

Well, now he had to first think about how he got back to funding as soon as possible, because otherwise he was really in rather big trouble.

In any case, the night was cooler than he suspected. The problem was that he had no way to sleep in a bed, but sat with his back against the wall and yet he could not get an eye.

That's not how he had imagined it. And the worst part was that he could not even call the others, since he had his cellphone with him, but the battery was charged nodding. Next he should look for a way to at least get this working again. It was not far to the next town.

*******************

There will be some reviews of John's past. Although he may have died, he lives on in his daughter.


End file.
